North Minneapolis Church Marks 100 Years, Preserving Both Black and Jewish History
The First Church of God in Christ in North Minneapolis is celebrating its centennial this month. Built in 1926 as a synagogue by Eastern European Jewish immigrants, the building was purchased by an African American Pentecostal congregation in 1957. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024.
A North Minneapolis church is marking 100 years this month, and its building carries the history of two communities that each found refuge there during different eras of American life.
The First Church of God in Christ, known as Graham Temple, was originally built in 1926 as the Tifereth B'nai Jacob Synagogue by Eastern European Jewish immigrants. In 1957, an African American Pentecostal congregation purchased the building and has worshipped there ever since.
The structure retains several original features from its synagogue days, including a wooden Torah ark in the sanctuary, ceiling stars, and interior walls decorated with zodiac motifs and trompe l'oeil paintings. Senior Pastor Tierre Webster has described the building as a symbol of cooperation between two communities that both navigated discrimination and displacement.
In November 2024, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is the second synagogue and the third African American congregation in Minnesota to receive that designation.
Art historian Marilyn Chiat, who has studied the site for years, says the building represents a rare physical record of the overlapping struggles of Jewish immigrants and African Americans during the Jim Crow era and the Great Migration.
The centennial celebration includes community events, historical exhibits, and worship services open to the public. Church leaders say they want the anniversary to draw attention to the building's preservation needs as well as its historical significance.
MPR News covered the milestone this week, noting that the church sits in a neighborhood that has seen significant demographic change over the past century.
